After so much progress made and momentum built, the Boston Red Sox enter this weekend's series against the Detroit Tigers once again sitting at .500.

The Red Sox's second walk-off loss in three games brought them to 20-20 after Thursday's afternoon matchup against the Minnesota Twins. After failing to establish a winning record at the end of their road trip, the Red Sox return home to face the Tigers, who own the best record in the AL at 24-12.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, the rest of the AL East very much remains a mess, with no one succeeding in separating themselves from the pack.

Here's a look ahead at this weekend's matchup against the Tigers, starting off with a big pitching matchup:

Five things to watch

1. Ace vs. Ace

As long as Max Scherzer is the reigning Cy Young winner is holds the edge in ERA, he's the ace of the Tigers staff over Justin Verlander. So far this season, he's maintained a grip on that title, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.04 ERA and 66 strikeouts.

The Red Sox will see Scherzer in the series opener, but will get the chance to counter with their own ace in Jon Lester. He's 4-4, but Lester's 2.75 ERA and 66 strikeouts are enough to show he can hold his own in this potential pitchers' duel.

2. The Tigers can hit, but what about scoring

The Tigers' .277 team batting average is tops in the AL. However, their 176 runs scored ranks sixth, which is lower than you'd expect for a team that hits so well.

It's not a result of the offense not cashing in when they have a chance, either. The Tigers are batting an AL-best .290 with runners in scoring position.

3. Fading on the road

Adding to the Tigers' offensive question marks are the issues the team has on the road. Outside of Detroit, the team batting average drops to .265 (third in the AL) while the team's .315 OBP falls 10th in the AL when playing in other cities.

4. Red Sox avoid Verlander, but get the return of Anibal Sanchez

The Tigers pitching staff is strong overall, boasting a 3.34 ERA that is second only to the Oakland A's (2.99). A lot of that success has come without Anibal Sanchez, who led the majors with a 2.57 in 2013. Sanchez has been on the disabled list since April 27 due to a blister issue, but looks to be back in time to close the series against the Red Sox.

5. The best Tigers hitter early this season is not Miguel Cabrera

Technically, their best hitters are Verlander and Sanchez, who are a combined 3-for-5 at the plate and boast OPS' over 1.000 from a handful of at-bats during interleague play.

As for actual hitters, it's former Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez leading the way from the DH spot. Often lost in the middle of a beefy Tigers lineup, the 35-year-old has been the star early on this season, leading the team with a .336 average and .387 on-base percentage.

What's really stood out, though, is Martinez's power. He's tied for sixth in the AL with nine home runs and his .597 slugging percentage blows away his career mark of .468